Deborah Ramirez, county employee, alleges sexual misconduct on nominee's part in 1980s

By Mitchell Byars

Staff Writer

Posted:
09/24/2018 11:58:15 AM MDT

Updated:
09/24/2018 07:12:55 PM MDT

Judge Brett Kavanaugh, nominated to be an associate justice on the Supreme Court, looks on Sept. 4 during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. A second woman, Boulder resident Deborah Ramirez, has accused him of sexual misconduct in an incident in the 1980s at Yale University. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

The Boulder County Commissioners released a statement late Monday confirming their support for Deborah Ramirez, the Boulder woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct while both were students at Yale University.

Ramirez told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dormitory party in the 1983-1984 academic year.

"We stand firmly behind our brave Boulder County employee who chose to speak publicly about a demeaning and demoralizing act of sexual misconduct she experienced as a young woman," the statement begins. "We fully support an employee's right to speak their truth and we stand with Deborah Ramirez in her courageous decision to speak up."

The statement describes Ramirez as a valued and trusted member of the county's department of housing and human services who is passionate about serving families in need and who connects community donors with families during the holidays.

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The statement continues, saying the commissioners feel it is important to use their platform to highlight ways debate of important issues, like allegations of sexual misconduct, can be improved, saying they believe the proper reaction to such allegations is to believe the victim, "especially when it comes at such an enormous personal cost," and to make sure a victim "brave enough to speak up" knows he or she will be heard and his or her claims will be "granted a full investigation."

"Sexual harassment and assault should never be tolerated in our society and the more we can support those who have been victims of these crimes to safely come forward, the better chance we have of stopping the cycle," the commissioners stated.

Earlier Monday, Boulder attorney John Clune confirmed that he is representing Ramirez.

While The New Yorker reported former Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett — now a private attorney with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck — was representing her, Clune confirmed with the Daily Camera today that he is representing Ramirez.

Former Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett on Monday leaves the Boulder home of Deborah Ramirez, the second person to accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Garnett would not comment on the purpose of his visit to Ramirez's home. He is not representing her. (Paul Aiken / Staff photographer)

Clune is an attorney at Hutchinson Black and Cook, a Boulder firm that has specialized in Title IX litigation and taken on many notable cases, including several at the University of Colorado.

Clune released a statement on behalf of Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence, where Ramirez is a board member.

"We know Debbie Ramirez to be a woman of great integrity and honor," the alliance wrote in the statement. "We stand by her and her courageous decision to come forward. It is never simple or easy for survivors to share their experiences. To do so in the face of public scrutiny requires a level of personal strength that is true to the person Debbie is. She has our support, our respect, and our admiration."

A notice posted at Ramirez's south Boulder home directed questions to Garnett, though he no longer is representing her. Garnett visited the home Monday and would not comment on his visit when exiting that afternoon.

"Senator Gardner was first made aware of these allegations when the New Yorker story was published Sunday evening," Gardner spokesman Casey Contres said in an email to the Denver Post. "Investigators from Chairman Grassley's staff immediately contacted Ms. Ramirez's attorney to gather more information about what allegedly occurred.

"Senator Gardner absolutely supports efforts by the Senate Judiciary Committee to gather more information and investigate these claims."

During the protests outside Gardner's office, Lisa Calderon, the safehouse alliance's former legal director who hired Ramirez as a volunteer, defended Ramirez.

"I trained Debbie as a victim advocate, and one of the things we teach is that we never tell victims what to do," Calderón told reporters Monday after speaking at a rally in Denver protesting Kavanaugh's nomination. "When you speak out, someone is going to criticize you or you might not be believed."

"And Debbie knows the consequences of speaking up," she added. "Unfortunately, nothing can prepare you for this circus — this political circus — that's happening."

Ramirez eventually took the staff role of volunteer coordinator at the alliance, according to a Facebook post by the organization.

Ramirez is the second woman to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Christine Blasey Ford said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her as a teenager, and the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing Thursday.

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